As summer winds down, we’re turning to books for more travel opportunities. Middle-grade author James Ponti has given us a unique opportunity to explore Coconut Grove in Miami, Florida with a group of young detectives who take on everything from scandals to natural disasters.
The Sherlock Society series follows Alex, Zoey, Lina, and Yadi, middle schoolers who turned their hunt for a summer job into a detective agency. In the latest addition to the series, The Sherlock Society: Art Attack, the detectives work together to track down stealth graffiti artist Funky Munky for a developer who wants the elusive painter to create mural for a new hotel. More than a mystery, Art Attack introduces readers to the South Florida art scene and behind-the-scenes of what it’s like to be a graffiti artist.
We caught up with James to find out exactly where his mysteries come from and how his detectives fearlessly take on big tasks.
Showstopper Magazine Online: Where do you draw inspiration for The Sherlock Society Series?
James Ponti: It comes from a mixture of my own childhood and my lifelong love of mysteries. I grew up in Florida near the ocean and really wanted to write a series set in that environment. The problem was that I grew up in a small town near Jacksonville, where things were a little sleepy. That was great for growing up, but not the best source of mysteries.
I decided to move “my childhood” to Coconut Grove in Miami because I thought that setting offered so much. Miami is an amazing gateway to Central and South America. It is a cosmopolitan city that’s extremely close to wilderness and the ocean. I knew it would provide a wonderful sandbox for the characters to play in.
SMO: The detectives turn to investigation over regular tween side hustles and hobbies. Did you have any odd strategies for making extra money or keeping yourself entertained when you were a kid?
James: One time I dressed up like Captain St. Valentine (a superhero I made up) and ran around my hometown delivering signing Valentine grams. In high school, I sold pretzels during Jacksonville Bulls football games. (They were in the USFL.) I would walk up and down the stadium steps an make humorous pleas for sales while carrying a cooler of them. It was tiring and the pay was terrible, but it did let me see the games for free.
As for entertainment, my brothers were a lot older and there weren’t many kids in my immediate neighborhood, so I did a lot of creative play. I would make up games and sports that could be played with one or two people. I would create island countries and draw maps, name their cities, and design their flags. All of this comes into play in my writing now. I think boredom is great fuel for creativity and I try to put some of those traits into the characters.
SMO: The Sherlock Society puts the middle school detective agency up against environmental concerns, natural disasters, and cultural events. Why do you think it’s important for young readers to explore these kinds of beyond-the-backyard scenarios?
James: The world is big and complicated and I think young readers are intrigued by this. I remember trying to figure out the Watergate scandal when I was a kid. And I remember how I would try to find some way to help when a hurricane was headed our way.
In my books, I try to put big world situations into the story in a way that the characters can confront them. I also try to find a way to give them some agency in that fight. This is especially true in environmental storylines. I think kids care a great deal about the environment and around the world there are many young people who are making a difference with regard to how to protect it.
SMO: We heard that you met with real graffiti artists while you were writing Art Attack. What did you learn from them? How did their experiences inform what happens in the book?
James: There is a great part of Miami called Wynwood that has one of the world’s highest concentrations of outdoor art. This includes murals and graffiti. I got the idea for the book there while taking a tour given by a graffiti artist turned muralist. I also got an hour-long lesson from another artist. They both talked about the art of what they did and how it gives voice to people who otherwise might not have a platform to be heard. I think young leaders relate to this idea of wanting a chance to share their opinions.
SMO: What are your favorite parts of Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yadi’s arch(s) in Art Attack?
James: Alex and Yadi are getting a little notoriety as a result of their previous cases and it’s funny to see how they react. They also get into trouble, which is important because I think the kids in the books need consequences for their actions. I really like the arc between Zoe and Lina who have gone from being two people who don’t like each other at all to two really good friends. There’s also a humorous storyline involving Grandpa’s new girlfriend and how she influences the kids.
SMO: In just a few months, you’ll be on a 16-stop book tour for Art Attack. What are you most excited to share with the readers you meet along the way?
James: Tours are fun and exhausting but most of all inspirational. I get so much energy from the young readers and their families. I love to hear about what parts of the books they love and which characters they relate with. I hope I leave them with an increased awareness of the value, joy, and opportunities that exist in reading and writing. How both can enrich their lives. That’s why I love the fact that I do “in conversation” events with so many writers. It takes the conversation off of my books specifically and opens it up to all of kidlit.
SMO: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you or The Sherlock Society series and Art Attack?
James: I’d like people to know how lucky I feel that I get to do this for a living. It is a third career from me after stints in television as a writer and then a producer. I did not see it coming. I feel like it’s a wonderful gift that I get to share these stories with them.
—
The Sherlock Society: Art Attack officially makes its way to bookstores on September 8! Keep and eye out for it, and click here to find out if James Ponti’s tour will bring him to your area.
